Whispers in the Sand - Softcover

Erskine, Barbara

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0007103042 ISBN 13: 9780007103041

Publisher: HarperCollins, 2000

Synopsis

The gripping new suspense story by the bestselling author of LADY OF HAY and ON THE EDGE OF DARKNESS, is set in richly mysterious Egypt, where past and present elide.

Recently divorced Anna Fox decides to cheer herself up by retracing a journey her great grandmother Louisa made in the mid-nineteenth century – a Nile cruise from Luxor to Aswan. Anna carries with her two of Louisa’s possessions: an ancient Egyptian scent bottle and an illustrated diary of the original cruise that has lain unread for over a hundred years.

As she follows in Louisa’s footsteps, Anna discovers in the diary a wonderful Victorian love story – and the chilling secret of the little glass bottle. Meanwhile two men from the tour party develop an unfriendly rivalry for her attention, while showing a disturbing interest in Louisa’s mementoes. Most frightening of all, Anna finds herself the victim of a spectral presence that grows in strength and threat as the dramatic stories from three different eras intertwine in a terrifying climax.

About this title

Review:

Over the years, Barbara Erskine has been able to build up a considerable following for her densely plotted, imaginative novels of romantic suspense. Her particular speciality is the vigorously created world she imagines for her characters. In Whispers in the Sand, her heroine Anna Fox undertakes a Nile cruise from Luxor to Aswan, following the progress of a journey her great grandmother, Louisa, made in the 19th century. The details of the recently divorced Anna's odyssey are handled with dazzling authority, and even if the multiple love story at the centre of the narrative was not so adroitly handled, we would still be beguiled by the panoply of a powerfully drawn Egyptian journey.

Erskine never loses sight of the fact that the reader must be thoroughly engaged by the problems she sets for her characters. Anna takes on her trip two of Louisa's possessions (the latter was a famous artist): an Egyptian scent bottle from the distant past and a beautifully illustrated diary of the original cruise that no one has read for over a century. We are allowed to be caught up in a fascinating love story from the Victorian era as Anna reads the diary, and more sinister relics of the past (such as the glass bottle) give an edge to the romantic intrigue. As Anna's journey progresses, other members of the party seem to be interested in the mementoes, and there is a rivalry between two men for her attention.

However, the most compelling strand to Erskine's tale is the sinister haunting that Anna finds herself the victim of, as a mysterious presence begins to exert a grip over her. Readers nowadays are used to narratives that take place simultaneously in both the past and the present (such as AS Byatt's Possession, for instance), but the device is handled with particular skill here. In fact, those who have enjoyed such Barbara Erskine books as On the Edge of Darkness will probably be surprised at the sophisticated enjoyment on offer here: this is her most ambitious book yet, and her sensuous scene-setting is first-rate:

Louisa set down her pen and stared out of the window at the dark river outside. She had pulled over the lavish shutters to allow the smell of it, the warmth of the night air, the occasional breath of chill wind from the desert to enter her cabin. It all captivated her. She listened carefully. Above, the stars were violent sparks against the blue-black sky. There was a slight movement behind her, and she turned...

--Barry Forshaw

Review:

"For both readers and discussion groups, especially those looking for a topic relating to the empowering of women, I highly recommend Whispers in the Sand." - Rundpinne

"Overall, I enjoyed this book, and thought it was a good summer read. The fact that it was set in Egypt made the book more interesting to me, and I learned a lot about Ancient Egypt." - Love Romance Passion

"The descriptions were so vivid that I was able to imagine myself within the story as a passenger on the ship. Makes me long to add Egypt to my travel list." - Books and Quilts

"This was a great book to get lost in for an afternoon and made me want to Google the places that Anna and Louisa encountered on their Nile voyages." - Life in the Thumb

"I thought this was an enjoyable, light read. A bit silly, but good for the beach." - SeaGreen Reader

" This was my first read of Barbara Erskine and it most certainly will not be my last. This book drew me in from the start and I was unable to put it down. The storyline is wonderful and it flows smoothly from the beginning to the end. The interweaving of the present day with the diary and the distant Egyptian past is absolutely incredible. The discriptions of the temples and the Nile are so effective you can see them in your mind without being there." - Eva's Sanctuary

"Originally published in 2001, this book is a wonderful look at the exotic world of Egypt now and long ago. The evil surrounding the bottle in ancient Egypt is just as powerful today. Erskine never disappoints." - Historical Novels Review

About this edition

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0007103042
• ISBN 13: 9780007103041
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 401